Winter Souls Elsa and Loki
by rebelspy
Summary: Desperate to find a cure for her ailing sister Anna, Queen Elsa hastily makes a deal with Odin of Asgard to heal Anna in exchange for her marriage to his son, Loki. [follows the main stories from the movies, but somewhat AU]
1. Desperate Deal

So this is my first fanfic...ever. I adore Elsa and my roommate has an unnatural obsession with Loki, and thus the Elki ship was born. I know it's not a popular ship, but it's got potential. Anway to whoever might be reading this (if anybody is), I hope you enjoy it and please offer me comments and criticisms and what not because I'm new at this.

Shoutout to **Sunnyontheheights **for the cover art (she worked really hard on it)! You guys should check out her stuff if you love Loki (:

Anyhoo, enjoy!

**********

Dear Papa,

Anna is still so sick. I don't know what to do anymore, and I'm losing hope. There's nothing we can do, Papa, and I feel so helpless. My magic is spiraling out of control and it's growing harder and harder to handle the menial tasks of the kingdom with Anna lying ill in the next room. It's times like these when I really wish you were still here. I know you couldn't find a cure any faster than the wonderful people of Arendelle, but even your presence was so healing. Whenever you were around when I was younger, I felt like I almost had the power to completely control my magic. You gave me hope and encouragement. I could use some of that right now, everyone could. Tell mother I love her and miss her, too.

Love Your Daughter,

Elsa

"Oh, Anna," is all I can choke out. I approach the wheezing lump of blankets that is my sister.

"Elsa? Is that you?" She struggles to lift her head.

"It's me, Anna. Don't sit up, your cough might start up again," I reach out to brush a strand of bright auburn hair from her forehead. It's the only part of Anna the illness has failed to dull and distort. How long has it been since the first incident? Four months? I remember the mortification in Kristoff's eyes as he rushed her into the foyer.

"I don't know what happened," he exclaimed, "We were out rowing on the fjord, when she started coughing. And then there was blood. She seems okay now, but I made her come in anyways. I didn't want to risk it."

"I _am_ okay now, Kristoff! Put me down I'm going to be fine. It was just a cough-attack jeez no need to flip out," Anna brushed herself off and proceeded to walk to the dining room, but before she took two steps collapsed on the ground in front of me.

"Anna!" I brought her head into my lap and checked it for any bumps from the fall. I placed my hand on both sides of her face; her skin was burning hot. Her eyelids fluttered slightly, but she did not wake. Trickles of blood were puddled at the corners of her mouth.

"Kristoff, hurry let's get her to her bedroom then I need you to quickly run for the physician."

That was our first encounter with Anna's illness. Since then she has seen every physician in Arendelle and not one has had a single idea as to what could be ailing her. And it's only getting worse. Just last week, I was sure we lost her.

I was sitting at her bedside watching her sleep and listening to her struggling breath. It was chilled outside, but I made sure the servants maintained the fire in Anna's room. The cold certainly couldn't help her, which is why I was also very cautious when touching her without my gloves. The constant worry was making it so hard to control the power. I would often awake in the night to a full-blown snowstorm in my room.

Occasionally her breathing would drop off or become wheezy and painstaking, but it always returned. Until one time it didn't. She inhaled shallowly and slowly. _Poor Anna_, I thought. _I don't know how she manages to breathe like that during her waking hours_. My thoughts were interrupted by the absence of the raspy exhale I had grown accustomed to as evidence of Anna's living. I listened intently for it, but it did not come.

"Anna, honey, I need you to wake up." I rose and gently and shook her to wake her up, but she didn't respond. "Anna! Wake up!" I checked her pulse. It was present but very slight.

"Kristoff! Lane! Come quickly!" I called out. No less than half a second later Kristoff and the nurse came crashing through the door, still in nightclothes but very awake.

"She's stopped breathing!" I struggled to contain my building anxiety. The last thing we needed was for Elsa to freeze the room. Kristoff and Lane rushed to Anna's side.

"Anna." Kristoff firmly grabbed Anna's shoulders to lift her into a sitting position. "Anna I need you to wake up and breathe!" He was choking back tears and panic was evident in his expression.

"Lay her down flat, now." Lane firmly commanded. She grabbed a contraption from the nightstand that resembled a turkey baster; and next thing, she's forcing it into Anna's mouth and squeezing the bulb. With the release came an intake of bright red blood into the tube of the tool. She quickly emptied the fluid into a bowl on the nightstand. I gasped at the sight of the blood, but understood her purpose. Lane continued this action twice more until there was no more blood in the tube after release. She then commanded Kristoff to sit Anna up again. She leaned her forward and then brought a swift open-hand hit to Anna's upper back. I cringed at the gesture, but was immediately flushed with relief as Anna finally took in a gasping breath and was thrown into a violent coughing fit.

Tears I hadn't noticed before spilled down my face and I begin sobbing at Anna's side. She was coughing uncontrollably, but at least she was breathing. We all remained with her for the rest of the night, making sure her breathing didn't stop again.

I had never been so terrified in my life. I almost lost her. My Anna. My love. My eyes sting with tears from just the memory. I don't know how much longer she has. She's getting worse every day, and I can't even cope with the thought of losing her. No one can. The kingdom is in panic and frantically searching for a remedy, but it's been several months and we've found nothing. How can we treat an illness we know nothing of? Not even the trolls are able to help. I let out a quiet sob at this hopeless realization. What can I do?

I go to sleep that night with a heavy heart and a tired soul. Even my magic has lost its will. It no longer wakes me and I don't struggle to control it. It's as if even _it_ is mourning the imminent loss of my dear Anna.

My dreams are strange. I dream of an old folklore story Papa used to tell Anna and me before he separated us. It was the story of the Norse Gods. They were kind but judgmental beings. They could be cruel, but they were also capable of using their strong powers for much good. The main god in particular, Odin the Allfather, had powers greater than all the others. He could heal any ailment with a twitch of his staff, and he was often open to doing so even for humans who were willing to pay the price. The prices varied, but Odin was an honest god and always gave the humans what they deserved for what they gave him.

I wake with a gasp. I sit up and stare thoughtfully at some snowflakes suspended in the air above my bed. My magic is awake again. My heart pounds in my chest as the idea hits me. I jump from my bed and dress quickly. I don't care if it was just a silly bedtime story; I have nothing else to lose.

"Kristoff, wake up!" I shake the sleeping giant who jumps up from his seat at my icy touch.

"What? Is something wrong?" He asks sleepily.

"No, in fact I may have an idea." I quickly explain my plan, and receive the anticipated response.

"You're insane, Elsa. Norse gods? Really? I think we should just stay here and spend as much time with Anna as we can instead of rushing off chasing fairytales." He starts to walk away, but I grab his arm.

"You may be living in this castle with us because my sister loves you and she's ill, but perhaps we've gotten too comfortable with each other. I am still your queen and you still have to respect my authority. I won't tolerate your disrespect. You can either come with me to the North Mountain, now, or leave and don't come back," I glare into his eyes. It's hard for me to be mean to the boy, but I desperately need him to cooperate with me.

"Fine," he retorts, "Front gate, five minutes."

We're rapidly flying up the mountain. Kristoff is quiet beside me. All I hear is the whistle of the wind and the beating of Sven's hooves on the icy ground. I feel so alive, the most alive I've felt since Anna became sick. I love the chill and the wind in my hair; it makes me feel powerful and hopeful. In less than an hour we reach North Mountain.

I gently pat Sven's head as I dismount the sleigh, and make my way towards the peak.

"This is so stupid," I hear Kristoff mutter when I pass by him.

I pause and give him a sharp stare, "_Stupid_, Kristoff? There's nothing else we can do. We've tried everything! It might not work, but I can't risk not trying! You think it's a stupid fantasy? That I'm chasing a fairytale? Look around you! I have the magical ability to control ice and there's an alive and very animated snowman watching over Anna right now in our absence! If that doesn't make you believe in magic and fairytales, then I don't know what to tell you," I take a deep breath and try to calm my frustration. "Please, Kristoff. I just need your faith and support."

He looks down, seemingly embarrassed at his behavior. "I'm sorry, Elsa. I'm just so worried for Anna. The thought of losing her scares me so much I'm sickened. I feel so helpless."

I walk up to him and take his hands in my own, "You don't have to feel helpless. You can appeal to the gods with me. We can try together. I _know_ this will work, Kristoff. It has to." He nods, and says nothing more. Together we finish the walk to the peak.

We kneel at the ledge where my ice castle once stood and look out over Arendelle. The fjord glimmers in the distance and I can make out the outline of the castle. The view is beautiful, but I can't enjoy it. Not yet. Not until I'm sure Anna is going to be okay. I close my eyes and think about how to start my appeal.

I take a deep breath and speak, "Great Odin, Allfather of Asgard and all the heavens, I pray that you hear my cry. My dear sister Anna, the purest most beautiful soul in Arendelle, is deathly ill. She has very little time left with us. I beg, great Odin, that you hear my prayer and use your powers for the worthy cause of restoring her health." I open my eyes. The scene is just the same as it was. My heart sinks but I close my eyes again and continue to speak, "I'll offer you anything I have. Anything the land of Arendelle can offer that you may find worthy of your possession. I offer you my riches, my kingdom, my-my powers. You can have everything, please just save her." The breeze suddenly picks up and the chill in the air increases. I open my eyes to a vastly changed scene. I can no longer see the fjord: a plume of grey clouds blocks my view. It looks like the beginnings of a heavy rainstorm, but there is no rain or lightning, only wind.

Kristoff and I stand and hold each other for balance. The wind grows stronger over the next few minutes and it's hard to stand without stumbling. Suddenly there's a startling clap of thunder, a brilliant flash of lightning shoots from the sky and strikes the ground behind us, and as suddenly as the wind began it stops. The air is still and the dark clouds vanish from the horizon, again revealing a clear autumn sky. Slightly shaken, Kristoff and I turn to face the epicenter of the lightning strike. We both gasp in suprise at what we're met with: a tall, aged man with white hair and broad shoulders stands before us. He is old, but far from frail. He stands tall and majestic, his presence seeps power and authority. I swiftly bow at his feet and drag Kristoff down with me, forcing him to bow as well.

"Great Odin, thank you for hearing my prayer," I begin to say.

"No need to call me great, Odin is sufficient young Elsa, Queen of Arendelle. Now, rise both of you. Let us talk." At his words we stand and follow him to Kristoff's sleigh. "Take me to the sick one you told me of. Anna is her name, yes? I've heard of her. A kind and beautiful heart she has. It would be a pity if the Earth lost her." Without hesitation Kristoff and I follow Odin onto the sleigh and quickly begin the ride back to the castle.

"Sick she is, indeed." Odin gently places his large hand on the side of Anna's face, "She doesn't have much time left; you called at the right moment."

Kristoff and I silently watch as Odin paces about Anna's sleeping figure, keeping his eyes locked on her face. "She is lovely. I'm sure she looks even more beautiful in full health." I feel Kristoff tense at these words. I quietly elbow his side; now is _not_ a good time for his notorious jealousy.

"She looks quite like you, Miss Elsa." He walks over to me and takes my face in both his hands. Kristoff starts to protest these actions, but I quiet him with a stream of ice to his foot. Odin examines my face carefully seemingly in deep thought.

"Excuse me, Odin, sir, I greatly appreciate your compliments but can you heal her? You said she didn't have a lot of time and-"

"I'm getting there Miss Elsa, be patient. She will live long enough to receive my healing, I am considering the terms of our agreement," he interjects.

"Of course, sir! I swear I will give you anything. I will pay you anything," I assure, "just please heal her. What is it that you desire, Odin?"

"You are an exceptional specimen, Elsa. You are a human, but are gifted with great powers and great beauty," he turns his back and again begins pacing Anna's bed. I'm beginning to grow frustrated with his continued words of compliment. I wish he would just get to the part where he states his price.

"You quite remind me of one of my sons; misunderstood, strong, and also born with powers of ice." I don't see the point of this speech and my feelings are growing more urgent. I'm losing my patience.

"Sir, what do you want from me in exchange for the healing?" I finally blurt out.

"You have his lack of patience and angst, as well I see." Defeated, I collapse into a chair beside Anna's bed. I lean my head in my hands and hold back tears of frustration.

"I have decided on our terms, Miss Elsa." At this I look up, anxious to hear the price.

"Anything, Odin. Anything." He smiles at my words.

"I have observed you from time to time, Elsa. You have a good heart and peaceful demeanor. Both you and your sister have the gift of bringing out the best in people, and that is a rare gift indeed. Your powers only make you even more exceptional." _He wants my powers_, I think. _He can have them. I'll give him anything._

"You can have my powers, sir. Take them!" I state urgently.

Odin lets out a deep laugh and replies, "It's not your powers I'm interested in, Miss Elsa. Magic of earth is nothing compared to the magic the god's posses," I furrow my brow in confusion but he continues, "It's _you_ I'm interested in."

"Me?" I ask, "What about me?"

"You will make a fine wife for my troubled son, Loki," he states with a smug smile.

"Wife?"

"Wife."

I stand dumbstruck at his words. I expected to pay in earthly riches or power. That's what he always asked for in all the old stories. But, a marriage to his son? That's...odd.

"He is a handful, but a handsome lad with a good heart deep, deep down inside there somewhere," He sits in a chair on the other side of the bed, opposite me. "He's been on probation for the past few years so he hasn't been out mingling with the women lately, and I'm not certain he'll ever find love. He can be quite...well he has a bit of a...his personality is a tad strong and...I guess you'll see eventually."

"Excuse me? Probation?" I choke out. "He dangerous?"

"Well not per se. He'll be down here with you, so I will greatly limit his powers, of course. He will be almost no more than an average human, like this blond thing beside you gaping rudely at me," Odin gestures at a shocked-looking Kristoff who snaps out of his daze and quickly averts his eyes to his shoes.

"So a marriage to my son in exchange for your sister's healing. Those are my terms. Of course I will give you two a few months to become acquainted down here, then there will be a great marriage held up in Asgard with the whole kingdom. It will be a delight." He stands and walks to me, "So what do you say, Miss Elsa? Do you accept my terms? Is your sister's life as much value to you as you claim it is?"

His words break me from my shock. I look up at Odin and extend my hand, "Deal! Yes just please heal her!" He firmly takes my hand and a golden ring of light encompasses our grasp. It shines brightly for a second then disappears in a flash.

"This is a binding contract, Elsa. Any breach will result in grave consequences," he looks he deeply into my eyes.

"I understand," I say barely audible.

Odin stands over Anna, staff in hand and speaks an enchantment in a language I'm not familiar with. Kristoff and I stand together silently watching him work. A faint glow encompasses Anna's body and her skin appears to be regaining color. Her lips become pinker and the rose in her cheeks slowly floods back. She is soon glowing so bright it's almost painful to look at and we avert our eyes. There is a sudden bright flash and then the glow is gone entirely.

I look anxiously at Anna who is still asleep, but glowing with more health and beauty than ever before. I run to her side and stoke her cheek. Her skin is a healthily warm and soft. I tear up out of pure happiness. Kristoff joins me on the other side of her bed, feeling her skin and enjoying the evidence of her now perfect health. Soon we both can't contain our gleeful laughter and are embracing her tighter than I can imagine is comfortable.

"Umm, guys," my heart skips a beat at the sound of that beautiful voice.

"Anna!" Kristoff and I exclaim in unison.

"You know I love these moments so much, but I really can't breathe," Anna struggles to say.

"Shh Anna let us have this. We almost lost you. You have no idea the scare you gave us," Kristoff replies in a shaking voice.

We savor a few more moments in the embrace before Anna removes us by force. I turn to thank her healer, but Odin is gone. Something shiny rests on the dresser and I walk to it. It's a ring, with a magnificent blue diamond encased in intricate folds of white gold. I gasp and pick it up to study it closer in my hand, that's when I notice the paper it was meticulously placed upon. I put the ring down and pick up the paper. It's a strange parchment material with one line neatly written in the exact middle of the page:

A week from today, your courtship begins.

_Odin of Asgard

"What's going on over there?" I hear Anna ask over my shoulder. "I'm starving, Elsa! Is there any chocolate?"

I shove away my worry about the note and ring and turn to face my now-healthy Anna, "Of course, Anna. Let's celebrate your health with some chocolate."


	2. Without Regret

"Wow. I was really that sick?" Anna leans back on the couch and stares up at the ceiling. Her hair glows bright in the firelight and I catch Kristoff staring affectionately at her from his spot on floor. "I hardly even remember that day when I fainted in the foyer. All I know is the sickness came on out of nowhere. One second I was fine, the next I was hacking up blood. It's quite odd when you really think about it."

"Well we don't want to think about it anymore," Kristoff cuts in. "All that matters is you're okay now. You're healthy and safe." He lifts himself onto the couch and pulls her into an embrace.

She closes her eyes and leans into it for a moment, but then furrows her brow and leans forward, a question evident in her expression. "Elsa, I was deathly ill right?"

"Yes, Anna we've told you how ill you were and we'd rather not relive it again so please just leave it alone for a while."

"But Elsa, If I was _that _sick. Like almost-dead sick," I cringe at this thought, "how did I recover so quickly? Shouldn't my recovery have been slow and tedious?" She stands and moves around rapidly testing her limbs, "But I'm okay! I don't feel the slightest bit weak or ailed. It's as if I wasn't sick at all, like I just woke up from a really long nap." Kristoff and I share a nervous glance. We weren't going to tell her about the deal for at least a couple days.

She notices the change in our demeanors, "What are you two hiding from me? You promised me, Elsa, no more secrets! No more hiding! What are you not telling me?"

I let out a heavy sigh and meet her glare, "You're right, Anna, you deserve to know."

She crosses her arms in triumph, "I knew you were hiding something. Now go on, tell me."

I steal a glance at Kristoff and he nods his head in encouragement, "Anna please sit down," she obeys and falls back onto the couch. "As we've told you, you were on the verge of death. We were sure you didn't have much more than a few weeks of life left in you. We searched everywhere for a cure or treatment, the entire kingdom was searching for months, but we came up with nothing. We were getting desperate, extremely desperate, so I made a deal."

"A deal?" Anna looks worried. "What kind of deal? With who?"

I ignore her questions and continue speaking, "Last night I had a dream about a story Papa used to tell us about the Norse Gods. Do you remember?"

"Kind of."

"Well one in particular showed up in my dreams: Odin, the king. He was known for his healing powers, and his willingness to heal humans in exchange for…things."

Anna's eyes widen in realization, "So you made a deal with this Odin guy for my healing! Elsa, what in the world did you trade him?"

"I was getting there, Anna calm down." She pouts but leans back into the couch. "So I managed to summon him and he examined you and I agreed to marry his son in exchange for your healing." I blurt out the last part so fast that it hardly makes sense, but Anna hears me and jumps up from the couch.

"You did what!"

"You heard me Anna. I agreed to a marriage for your health and I don't regret it."

Anna gapes at me, "I…I don't know what to say, Elsa. I'm-I'm sorry."

I walk to her and take her hands in mine, "Don't you dare say sorry, Anna. I would've traded anything, _anything_ to get you back again. Your life is more important to me than anything in this world."

Her eyes fill with tears and she nods. She hugs me tightly and whispers, "I love you."

"I love you too, Anna. Now don't cry." I wipe the tears away with my thumbs.

She smiles up at me, "I'm sorry I just feel bad that you have to marry this stranger! We don't even know anything about him. Do you even know his name?

"Loki, I think it was," I reply.

"Loki? That's a strange name."

I laugh, "Yes, it is a strange name, but let's hope _he _is not as odd as his name. He is going to be staying with us for a while. Odin is giving us a few months to become acquainted before we get married. He'll be here a week from today, I suppose."

"How do you know that?" Anna asks.

"Odin left this note," I produce the note, "and this ring." I reluctantly bring out the ring.

"Oh my!" Anna gasps. "It's beautiful, Elsa! It suits you, too: the blue diamond is perfect for you!" I smile but quickly take back the ring and note and return them to my pocket. "Why won't you wear it?"

I sigh," Because I'm not comfortable with it. It's an engagement ring and it's supposed to mean something. It signifies a connection with another person, but I don't even know this guy yet. It would just feel strange to wear."

"That makes sense. Wear it when you're ready." Anna smiles up at me and hugs me again. "Thank you so much, Elsa. I will repay you for this!" I start to protest but she cuts me off, "You are going to have the most beautiful wedding ever! And Kristoff will make sure this Loki guy treats you nice, wont you Krissy?"

Kristoff blushes at the embarrassing nickname, "Of course, Elsa. He'll be on his best behavior whether he likes it or not."

"Thank you," I smile at them both. I glance up at the clock: it's almost midnight, "We should get some rest it's been a long day."

"But I don't want to sleep," Anna protests, "I just woke up!"

"Rest, Anna. It may have been healing magic, but I don't want to risk any sort of relapse."

"Fine," Anna retorts, "Let's go Kristoff."

"Separate rooms, separate beds you two!" I call out and receive a groan from Anna in reply. "Hey! You're lucky it's not separate wings!"

I laugh and begin the walk to my room, but I make a quick visit with Olaf to employ him as Anna's night guardian, "Just make sure she stays in her bed and that she doesn't try to sneak out. Okay?"

"You've got it, Elsa!" Olaf salutes me and waddles away in the direction of Anna's bedroom.

I get to my room and sit down on my bed. I rest my head in my hands and consider the events of the past day. The fact that I'm engaged to a stranger still hasn't processed entirely. I don't really know how to feel. I'm too happy that Anna is back to feel upset over the fact that it won't be a marriage for love. I guess I have never even considered getting married, anyways: relationships were never for me. All the love I ever desired I had with my sister and my people; romantic love was never a big deal to me. I was completely content with the fact that I would be happily single for the rest of my life. _And now I'm marrying a stranger_, I think. _I can do it_. So instead of feeling anguished I find myself humored and soon I'm laughing.

"Wow," I say to myself, "I just hope he's not a complete psycho."

Sorry it's so short, it necessary exposition and it's the worst, I know!

Anyway my roommate is working on the next chapter which will be entirely concerned with Loki :D So I'm hoping she doesn't lag too much.

Thanks for reading! (:


	3. Bound to Submission

Thanks for the reviews, they mean a lot! Anyway, this next part is by my lovely roommate, **Luc16 **(go check out her stuff...now...Why aren't you checking? Do you know how to check?)

FYI, we're both full-time college students with part-time jobs so updates won't be super prompt, but never fear! We are dedicated to this story and it will continue to completion!

Enjoy! (:

_Dear Mother,_

_ Father, no Odin, has gone too far. He has forced me into a deal that we never discussed or even thought of. He didn't even ask my opinion about the deal! I am sick of his politics and decisions. I don't know why you married such a controlling, manipulative man. How did you stand him all those years? You were so loving and kind to Thor and I. You deserved so much more than the husk of a man we call Allfather. I have reached my limit and will not follow his orders, I will not be controlled by him. Ever since your death, he has deteriorated immensely. He makes rash decisions that even leave the court scrambling. But this time, he has gone too far. I will not stand for it._

The smell of blood hits my nose and I smile. I swing my arm around and my knife sinks into the throat of my victim with a squelch. I pull my arm out quickly, flicking the warm blood from my fingers. As I look around at the battle raging around me, I nearly laugh in glee. My blood and adrenaline were pumping at full throttle and I wanted to fight and slice and kill. The power that comes with this thought catches me off guard but there's no time to think about it as an arrow whizzes by my head. I duck and roll away, throwing a knife at the same time. My knife finds my target perfectly and the creature crumbles. Our enemy consists of seven-foot horned creatures with a wicked tail that they like to use to impale you with. They range in colors from dark brown to a deep burgundy. Their eyes are completely black and they have two sets of teeth.

"Have you forgotten how to fight Loki?" Thor shouts from a few feet away. My pride rises up and I scowl in annoyance.

"Me forget? You underestimate me brother," I sneer and throw a knife towards him. His eyes widen as the knife spins towards him and lands in the eye of the creature behind him. Thor whirls around at the creature's scream of pain and hits it on the head with his hammer. Mjonlr. Every time I see it, anger bubbles in my stomach because it should be mine. I am far more intelligent then my oaf of a brother and am far more worthy than he. But still, it chose him. Or he forced it to choose him. As Thor turns back around to look at me, there's a look of fear in his eyes. I smile and whirl away as I am locked into battle with one of the creatures. I relish those moments when I see fear in their eyes. It means they are finally realizing my potential, they are finally beginning to fear me. I have been underestimated and ignored for too long.

I slash angrily at the creatures around me, cutting through armor and flesh, blood spilling from their wounds. I channel my anger and resentment into my fighting, allowing myself to enjoy the thrill of battle. I rarely partook of this enjoyment but now, now I relished it. With every stroke of my blade, every throw of my arm, I proclaimed my freedom. This was my first battle since the incident on Earth. Earth, the pathetic little planet with it's mewling creatures called humans. They were so fragile and small, yet they had…something powerful. This thing was powerful and influential but I couldn't figure out what it was. It was a mystery I had yet to solve, a frustrating annoying mystery.

"Loki to your right!" Sif yells as I'm turning to face my opponent. I duck as the creature's club swings over my head. I take a step back and make a quick assessment of him. The creature is at least seven foot five with hairy deep green arms. His face is twisted into a disgusting smile that displays his bloody sharp teeth. His eyes gleam happily and he brings his club, spiked club, above his head. I step out of the way as the club smashes down where I had been standing. I create an illusion and make myself invisible, as I walk behind him. The creature is focused on my illusion and laughs as he swings his club at the illusion, passing straight through it. I hear the creature grunt in surprise and I nimbly jump onto his back and bring my knife across his throat. He gurgles and collapses to the ground and I step off of him, flicking the blood from my hands. I sigh; I'm getting bored. I look around and realize that the battle is practically over. After calling to me, Sif has disposed of another creature and in the distance I see Volstagg break another creatures neck. Hogun dances around a large creature, succeeding in stabbing the creature through the eye and killing him. Fandral has already been taken from the battlefield, being hurt again. To my right, Thor gives a mighty yell and smashes his hammer into the ground. The ground rumbles and the air sparks with electricity. The creatures around Thor are blasted away and don't get up again. The battle is over. Volstagg gives a triumphant shout and my brother and the people we have saved echo it. I do not join in the celebration and instead look around critically, making sure we are truly out of danger. I'm glad I checked because a creature has gotten up behind Sif, who is holding her sword up in triumph, and stands to strike a killing blow. I react instantly and soon, a knife protrudes from between the creatures eyes. The celebrating doesn't stop but Sif lowers her weapon quickly and locks eyes with me. I feel myself smile what I think is a friendly smile but Sif's eyes widen and then harden. Suspicion substitutes fear and she turns away from me. _Well that was rude, _I think.

"Good work today brother!" Thor says, slapping me on the back. I stumble forward slightly, unable to stand against Thor's strength.

"Did you doubt me?" I retort, trying not to show that my back stings where he slapped me. Thor laughs but doesn't answer me as his friends crowd around him. I can't help but feel a little hurt because no answer from Thor means "yes" to the question you asked. I recede into the outskirts of the group, not wanting to be around them. I don't want to be around any of these people. I am sick and tired of them. They look at me with contempt, pity, or not at all. I am the darkness of a shadow, something to be ignored. But they will learn to fear the dark, the shadow they ignore. I cover my dark thoughts as Thor turns to me.

"Father will be proud," Thor states, grinning. More anger and resentment stir in my stomach but I mask it with a small smile and slight nod. I trail behind the group as we approach the spot where Heimdall will take us back. The ground is burned in an intricate design that is truly beautiful, no matter how angry I am.

"Heimdall we are ready," Thor shouts and a blinding light rockets towards us. We are enveloped in the many colored lights that signal the bifrost. I inhale and allow myself to be catapulted back to Asgard, feeling as if I'm being squeezed and stretched at the same time. I walk out of the light and onto the bifrost platform. Hemidall stands tall and proud in all his golden splendor in the middle of the room. Thor and his friends are already walking away, not even bothering to wait for me. I clench my hands in anger and annoyance and start to walk after them.

"You will need to control your anger for your next task," Heimdall's deep voice says. I freeze and turn towards him. My next task? What did he mean?

"My next task?" I ask locking eyes with Heimdall. His golden eyes tell everything and yet nothing at the same time. All I can discern is that Odin has made a plan with me as it's focal point. Maybe it was another battle that I would lead instead of Thor. By the look in Heimdall's eyes, I know this isn't the case. What could it be? I think. I'm beginning to have a mixed sense of excitement and dread.

"Loki! Are you coming?" Thor calls. I tear my gaze away from Heimdall and look towards my brother. He stands waiting for me as his friends wait for him.

"Of course," I say silkily. Thor turns and I follow after him. I try to calm my pounding heart but I know that something is coming. Something is about to change. A guard greets us at the entrance of the palace and tells me that Odin has asked to see me. I nod and head off to the throne room. Thor tries to tell me something but I ignore him, I've had enough of his encouraging words. Father, no Odin, would never see me as his son, no matter what Thor said. I would always be the adopted son, the living trophy of his war against the Frost Giants. I don't change before I see Odin which speaks disrespect but that's what I have for the Allfather.

As I walk into the throne room, I am met with a look of badly hidden contentment and glee. I start to have a bad feeling and prepare myself for the worst. Odin sits in his throne oozing power and superiority. His eye patch gleams menacingly in the light and his staff stands erect and threatening. I approach the throne calmly and with my head held high. I see his eye glare at me with annoyance at my bloody appearance and that brings a small smile to my face.

"You called me," I say, purposely leaving off his title. I am rewarded with a scowl and glare of anger. I smile in return. Odin simmers for a second in his anger but then he inhales and smiles. My dread deepens.

"I have found a task for you Loki," Odin rumbles. I shiver at the way he says my name because it seeps with disdain and disgust. After the incident on Earth and Mother's death, Odin has displayed his true colors. He has openly insulted and humiliated me, proclaiming his dislike of me. Even Thor has noticed the difference and has tried to "fix" our relationship. This consists of many pointless lectures about Odin being grief stricken and stressed. Thor has never seen Odin as wrong or in the blame; never. It is the blind love of a son. In that aspect, I'm glad I don't have a father to brainwash me.

"You shall find this task relatively easy because it only requires you to exist," Odin says. I bristle at the insult. He believes that I have no worthy skills and that the best, or worst, skill I have is existing. I say nothing, not wanting to show him that I am offended. Even if he doesn't admit it, I am skilled in the art of hiding my emotions. I can place a mask on my face and never betray what I'm feeling or thinking. I see Odin's lip twitch in annoyance at the absence of a reply. Odin inhales deeply and I feel the air around me still. Here it comes, the change.

"Your next task is to marry Queen Elsa of Arendelle on Earth," Odin announces. My eyes widen and I don't move. Marry?

"Excuse me?" I ask quietly. This could not be happening. Odin smiles at my shock and I try to place my mask on again. I didn't usually let things rattle me but marriage?

"I made a deal with her. In return for the healing of her sister, she would marry my youngest son. You," Odin says. My heart beats rapidly in my chest and anger flares in my blood. He made a deal without even consulting me? And for a mere healing spell?

"You agreed to marry me off for a simple healing spell? Why didn't you ask me?" I say my voice rising in anger. Odin tries to keep the smile off his face but he is failing miserably.

"It was a terrible sickness and there was no time to ask you," Odin replies. My breathing increases and my brain works rapidly.

"I do not consent to this. I will not marry this woman," I snarl, turning on my heel and stalking away. How could he even propose this? Arranged marriage was not a foreign concept in Asgard, in fact it was expected. However, you needed consent on both sides of the party and more of a reason than a simple healing spell. With healing spells, it didn't matter how badly sick or injured the person was. Healing spells were the most easy and uncomplicated spells to cast. The price of one was far lower than the price of an arranged marriage, especially to a prince of Asgard.

"It does not matter if you don't consent, you will marry this woman," Odin booms. I stop because something in his voice is too happy. Both parties have to consent to an arranged marriage, so why did he sound so triumphant. Unless…

"What did you do?" I ask, turning around. Odin grins and leans back in his chair. There is no possible way that Odin knows how to do that type of spell. Mother barely taught it to me and she only consented after I had berated her for a year. I walk back to Odin, horror and fear increasing my anger.

"What. Did. You. Do?" I ask, barely controlling my rage. No one is in the throne room, Odin and I are alone. If what I think is true, then I may just kill Odin and end my misery right here, right now. Odin only chuckles to himself, completely unafraid of me. This fuels my anger and it explodes. I react before I can stop myself.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?" I roar. Odin has the nerve to laugh openly, not even flinching at my rage.

"You are not the only one who knows magic my son," Odin taunts. My vision turns red and all I can think about are the many ways I could kill Odin in this moment. Illusions worked well but I wanted him to see my face as I slit his throat. I take a step forward as the door to the throne room opens. I do not care if someone sees me kill Odin. I need to-

"Father, brother! You have been talking for some time," Thor announces. Blast him. I hesitate, my hands shaking. I can not kill Thor's father in front of him. As much as I detest Thor's inherited glory and his vast shadow, he has been kind to me. I am not sentimental but I admit that his absence when I was imprisoned affected me more than I care to admit. He may be annoyingly obnoxious but he had a good heart. He was the first person to welcome me back with open arms after my imprisonment. Mother was second.

"Brother, you did not change?" Thor asks, surprised. My fury is like a pack of wolves and I am holding it back by a thread. I turn on my heel and sweep from the room, ignoring Thor's question and pleas to return. I quickly make my way to my room and slam the door. Once I know I'm alone I let out a scream of anger. Furniture flies away from me as my anger channels into my magic and explodes out. I want to smash something, slice something, anything! Most of all I want to undo the damage Odin has done. You see he didn't just arrange a marriage without my consent. I would not have enjoyed it but I would have consented to a marriage if the price were right. But Odin has made this marriage for the price of a healing spell, lowering me to the worth of a slave. Not only that, but he has made it binding. At some point, most likely when he was casting the healing spell, he incorporated a binding spell, binding me to this creature. No matter how much I resist to this marriage, I must follow through with it. If I don't marry this creature, I will die. I punch my mirror in frustration. It shatters and I don't feel the cuts on my hands. My adrenaline is pumping so much that I feel immune to pain. I look at my bloodied hand and my logic kicks in. Punching mirrors and getting mad wouldn't solve anything. Knowledge was my only resource.

I make my way to my bookshelf, not even bothering to pick up my broken and scattered furniture. I quickly skim the titles of the books, pulling out the ones that are most helpful. I turn over a chair and begin my research. There has to be a reversal spell or a spell that negates the binding aspect. I scour the books endlessly. When I've read and checked them thoroughly, I head to the library to find more books. After seven days, I have found no reversal spell, nothing that will help me. I slam the book I was reading shut and lean back in my chair crossing my arms. All of the books had repeated that binding spells could only be reversed if both parties agreed to reverse it or by another binding spell. This didn't help me at all unless this creature agreed to reverse it. This was unlikely because Odin would probably take away the healing he had dealt. Who would agree to an arranged marriage to heal someone? I didn't understand this sentiment especially when it involved roping me into the problem. I sigh and get up. I need a break. I walk through the halls, staring at nothing lost in my thoughts.

"Loki," I turn at Thor's voice.

"What?" I snap, irritated. Thor looks momentarily hurt but plows on.

"Father has asked you to meet him at the bifrost platform," Thor relays. I clench my hands, my cut hand throbbing in pain. What does Odin want? Why the bifrost platform? I want to refuse but I have a feeling it has something to do with the marriage. I growl in annoyance and start walking in the direction of the bifrost platform.

"Brother," Thor says striding after me, "I heard about your marriage and I believe congratulations are in order." I stop and glare at Thor. Thor puts his hands up in surrender with an apologetic face.

"I know an arranged marriage is not ideal but I hear she is very beautiful," Thor says. I roll my eyes and stomp away.

"I hear she has ice powers like you," Thor shouts after me, attempting to put a positive spin on the situation. I don't respond and continue to stalk to the bifrost platform. I arrive a few minutes later and see Heimdall and Odin standing together.

"Loki, it is time to meet your bride," Odin says. I bristle and stop a few feet away.

"I am not leaving," I say, "I may not be able to refuse the marriage but that does not mean I have to marry her right away." This was probably the only useful information I had gleaned from the many books I had read. Odin's expression hardens as he realizes I'm right. And you thought I didn't have any skills.

"You are leaving right now," Odin growls. I cross my arms and glare at him.

"No." Odin's lip twitches in anger and his hands shake as he tries to control his emotions.

"Heimdall, open the bifrost," Odin commands. Heimdall looks between us but obeys Odin. The bifrost opens with a whoosh and I can feel its pull.

"You will leave and stay on Earth for six months before you get married," I open my mouth to protest but Odin strikes his staff against the floor.

"I hereby strip you of all your learned powers," my magic coalesces at a point on my chest and with the flick of Odin's hand, he rips it away from me. I gasp as my body screams in pain and I grit my teeth from screaming at the agony.

"You will be reduced to a mortal," another flick of his hand and I'm sent to my knees as my strength leaves me.

"You will not be able to return to the realm of Asgard for six months," I inhale and look up to see Odin standing over me, glaring hatefully at me. He grabs the back of my shirt and hauls me to my feet.

"With the power of the nine realms, I enforce these rules and cast you out!" Odin shouts as he shoves me into the bifrost. The last thing I see before I am pulled into the bifrost is Heimdall looking regretful and Odin grinning triumphantly.

Ahh! I hope you liked it! I know I was screaming like the annoying fangirl I am when she read it to me. Next chapter should be up soon!

Review away, lovelies (:


	4. Collide

So instead of writing a paper for school I am posting this! I know I need to sort my priorities, whateves!

Thank you so much for the reviews!

Dear Papa,

Anna's better! She's healthy and back to her normal, quirky self. Now I only have to worry about her slipping and falling off the banisters, because she still insists on sliding down them instead of taking the stairs like a normal 19 year old. I seriously have never been happier, Papa. I thought I would never see her running around the halls and getting into trouble with Kristoff again. And Kristoff, oh Kristoff. That boy is wrapped so tightly around Anna's finger, I have to essentially tear them apart every night and set a guard to make sure they don't sneak out to row on the fjord (their favorite activity). It's so nice to see Anna in love. I know that's all she's ever wanted: someone to love her, someone to appreciate her for all her little quirks. And I think's she's found him, Papa. He's perfect for her. I expect they'll be engaged within a year. And only that long because I made her agree to wait since she tried to marry a man she had only just met! Ironically, I'm going be married to man after knowing him for only a few months, and without even loving him. I know, it sounds awful. You always expected Anna and I would fall in love with some handsome princes and live happily ever after, but I'm not upset that plan isn't in my cards. Anna has her Kristoff, and I…I'll be okay. This man and this future marriage mean little to me compared to Anna's wellness. She's all I've had since you and Mama passed on, and I needed to save her so…now I have to marry this guy. I know that probably doesn't make sense to you, but details don't matter. I just want to clarify that I'm going to be alright. I'm fine.

Love Your Daughter,

Elsa

"Ugh where is it?" I groan as I frantically search the drawers of my dresser leaving slight trails of frost behind wherever my fingers touch.

"What's wrong?" Anna asks as she cautiously enters my room.

"I can't find it!" I reply and turn to face her.

"What is it you can't find, Elsa?" Anna walks to me with her hands up as if she's prepared to defend herself from me. Ever since I accidentally froze her heart she's been cautious around me whenever I'm under stress. It hurts, but I understand where she's coming from.

I take a deep breath, close my eyes, and repeat, _don't feel calm down don't feel_, in my head a few times before responding. "The ring, Anna. The engagement ring! I put it on my dresser 6 nights ago and haven't touched it since. Now I can't find it. And this man is going to be here soon and I don't have his darn ring and…" Tears threaten to spill from my eyes but I force them back.

"Elsa, you need to relax. I haven't seen you this stressed since Kristoff and I came back late from a nighttime row and you thought we'd both drowned." She smooths down my hair and gently places her hand on the side of my face. Her hands are warm and the touch is comforting.

I smile at her, "I know. I'm panicking for no reason, but this whole situation just has me freaking out." I turn back to my dresser and begin looking again, this time without leaving behind icy fingerprints.

Anna gives me an understanding smile, "You have every right to be stressed right now, Elsa. This random man is moving in with us and you're expected to like…like him right? I mean, that would stress me out." I love the way Anna can make things sound simple. "But you can't be freaking out about a small thing like this. It's not helping you get a handle on your powers."

"I know." I sigh and quit my search. I sit down on my bed and will myself to calm down.

"The ring isn't important now, anyways. We'll find it by the time it's needed, but for now you have to get dressed to meet your future-" I shoot her an icy glare. "This Loki guy," she corrects herself.

I don't like thinking of him as my future husband. He's more of a…business partner. I'm going to meet my future business partner. He's my immortal future business partner…who I have to marry.

Anna walks over and sits next to me, "Now get all beautified and head on out there to wait for this guy!"

I get up and head over to my closet to pick out a dress.

"Hey Elsa," Anna says after a minute of silence.

"Yes?"

"This guy is a god right?"

"Well yes I suppose," I reply cautiously, "Why?"

Anna grins at me mischievously, "He's probably a handsome fellow, sis." She winks at me.

"Anna!" I scold.

"What? Am I wrong? Aren't all gods supposed to be like amazingly handsome?" She replies, batting her eyelashes.

"Well I very well wouldn't know," I answer honestly. "I never considered what he might look like. I guess it doesn't really matter anyways. Handsome or not I have to marry the man."

"Well, I bet he is!" She stands up to leave the room, but just as she's about to close the door she adds with a wink, "And you two will have the most beautiful, icy, magical babies in all of Arendelle!"

"Go away Anna!" I yell as she closes the door.

All I hear is her fading laughter as she walks away from my room.

I put on a simple blue dress with white trim and braid my hair down the side, like usual.

_Nothing special_, I think, _just a regular day_.

I open the door to the castle's courtyard and am met with the adorable sight of Kristoff and Anna cuddling on the bottom step of stone stairs. I smile fondly at them, but loudly clear my throat as I descend the stairs. The two quickly separate and look at me, both blushing deeply. I laugh at their embarrassment. They're always trying to hide their sweet affection, but they're not fooling anybody: they're clearly crazy about each other.

Anna stands to meet me at the bottom of the stairs. "You look beautiful like always, Elsa," she says.

"She's right," Kristoff adds, "he's a lucky fellow."

"Thank you, but I'm not sure any gentlemen who has the capacity to genuinely appreciate a woman would have to find a wife by his dad exploiting a desperate situation and basically buying him a companion," I say with laughter.

"Oh, Elsa," Anna scolds, "You don't know that. For all you know he could be prince charming!"

"Ha! A prince charming that has been on house arrest for several years. What an interesting combination!" This time Anna joins me in laughing. I know she's trying to help me make light of the situation, and I really appreciate it.

"Oh, dear. I forgot he's a crazy criminal," Anna jokes.

"Criminal? I do resent that word. I prefer the term renegade, or entrepreneur for realm domination." Anna and I jump at the appearance of the unfamiliar voice. We quickly turn to meet its owner: a tall, thin man with a sharply cut jaw, dark shoulder-length hair, and deep-set eyes. He has a threatening air about him and I let out an involuntary gasp when he starts to walk toward us.

I open my mouth to speak, but the stranger cuts me off, "Don't interrupt, frosty, I was just about to introduce myself."

Did he just call me _frosty_?

He continues to stroll at a casual pace. "I am Loki of Asgard, god of mischief." He pauses to examine the fountain nearest to the castle's entrance. Seemingly unimpressed he continues walking forward, "So this is the place, eh? Home to the _beautiful _Queen of Arendelle?" He announces my title in a mocking tone.

His rude implications wake me from the shock of his sudden appearance, but I maintain my composure and politely reply, "Yes, this is my castle. This is my sister, Anna, her boyfriend, Kristoff, and I'm Queen Elsa," I confidently walk to him and extend my hand.

He glances down at my hand, an amused smile playing on his pale lips, then walks past me and begins to ascend the stairs. I stand there and gape at him, shocked.

_Well that was rude_.

Kristoff stands, "There must be some sort of misunderstanding here. You may be a god or a prince up there in the clouds, but here she's our queen and you're going to show her some respect."

Loki turns toward Kristoff with narrowed eyes. He slowly approaches him, never breaking eye contact. Kristoff's stern expression falters only for a second when Loki reaches him and he realizes that the god is a good 5 inches taller than him.

"Listen, mortal," Loki spits out the last word as if it tastes bad in his mouth, "I'll show you mercy because you seem to be unaware of the great power I possess, but do not test me. I will act how I want and show no one below me undue respect."

Kristoff stares up at the man and smirks, "Oh no need for your mercy, _god of mischief_, we know that you have no power down here. Or at least not enough to cause any _real _damage."

Loki scowls down at Kristoff, but says nothing. I quickly step between them, "Stop it, now!" I can't believe this man has barely been here for 5 minutes and is already causing problems. I don't even want to think about the next few months. "Loki," his name feels uncomfortable on my lips, "come with me. I'll give you a tour of the palace. Anna, Kristoff I think you two should go for a walk...elsewhere."

"But Elsa," Kristoff protests.

"Go!" I command. Anna and Kristoff reluctantly turn from us and walk away from the palace. I watch them disappear around the corner and turn back to my guest.

He's gone.

"Umm, Loki?" I call out. Nothing. I groan and call out again louder, "Loki!"

"What do you want?" The tall man appears from behind a nearby pillar. _How did I not see him there?_

I swallow my retort to his impolite response. "I would like to give you a tour of the castle," I open the doors leading to the foyer, "seeing as you're going to be staying with us for-"

"I don't want a tour of your stupid palace!" He interrupts. "Just show me to my room and stop trying to be so hospitable! It's quite irritating."

I stand there in shock. I've had it with his rudeness; if I don't say something now then he'll continue to think he can treat me with disrespect.

I calmly reply, "You don't want my hospitality? Fine, you don't seem deserving of it anyway. But I will not tolerate disrespect toward me or my loved ones, especially not from some troubled, spoiled, and might I add, _pretentious _prince, god, or _whatever you are._ I know Odin confiscated most of your powers, so don't _even _try to play that card with anyone here: we'll just laugh in your face." I note his expression is unchanging, but faint shock is evident in his eyes. "Your room is up the stairwell, first door on the left. We left you full accommodations; however, if they don't suit your _taste_ feel free to leave them where they are, but you won't be given any more." I turn to walk away from him and add, "Dinner is at 5. Be there or starve, it's your choice. I don't care either which way." With that I cause cold gust of wind to slam the front doors shut and walk away triumphantly.

I absolutely deplore confrontations like that. As a queen, composure amongst disrespect is necessary, but he has only just arrived and is already acting more distastefully than the Duke of Weseleton. Also, something about his arrogance and pretention just irks me.

I hear a door slam upstairs and roll my eyes, "Jerk."

It's so short! Sorry, my roommate likes to write most of the Loki stuff and this is about as far as I could go with it. But **Luc16 **is already working on the next one so it will be up soon!

Oh, we're also open to suggestions of any sort (: so review away!


	5. Beautiful Ice

**MysteryGirl7Freak**'s reviews totally make my day!

Thanks for the all the reviews, guys! They make us happy!

This was written by **Luc16**, so enjoy the perfectly-formulated sentence structure of an English major (:

I slam the door to my room, hearing a satisfying thump. The nerve of that woman! First, not respecting me as a god then proceeding to reprimand me. How dare she! I glare at the room around me, as if it will respond in the fear and submission I desire. The room is quiet and still around me, unmoving and as solitary as a room should be. My anger is ebbing away and I sigh, running my hands through my hair. I still hold resentment towards the woman, my fiancée, but other thoughts invade my mind, pushing my frustration and denial away. The room is spacious for Earth standards but small in Asgardian standards. A tall window allows the sun to shine in and brighten the room. There is a king size bed to the left and a large wardrobe to the right. A writing desk sits to the left of the window and two bookshelves are nestled in the corner to the right of the window. The room's main color is green but it is decorated with indigo blue designs. As I continue to look, I see two more doors. One leads to the bathroom and the other to a small sitting room. A fire crackles in an intricately ornate fireplace, the wood engraved with many different types of precious wood. A small couch lies in front of the fire. However, what catches my mind is not the magnificent fireplace but the walls. From floor to ceiling, the walls are bookshelves filled with hundreds of books.

I slowly spin around, taking in the sight. I can feel myself start to relax and begin to itch to grab one of the books off the shelves. I close the door behind me and allow a smile to grace my features. Wherever there were books, I was happy. Any lingering bitterness forgotten, I take a thick book down from one of the shelves and lounge on the couch in front of the fire. As soon as I lay down, my body seems to collapse into the couch. I hadn't realized how exhausted I was until I had sat down. Without my powers and with my strength reduced to that of a mortal, the journey through the bifrost had drained almost all of my energy. I try to shrug my exhaustion away and open the book. The legend of Lokasenna begins when…

_The room is dark. I turn around on high alert. Something is out there. I hear a whisper and wind rustles close to my ear, making me shiver. I whip around, slicing with my arm but I have no knife and my arm doesn't hit anything. Where was I? Why was I here? I hear a booming laugh in the distance that makes me whirl in anger. You cannot escape me, the voice laughs. Odin. _

_ "Where are you!?" I shout, anger fueling my voice so it reverberates around the room. It sounds like I'm in a cavern of some sort, a cave or something. Suddenly a light flares to my right and I whip around. My mother stands serenely, a lantern floating by her head._

_ "My son," she says and opens her arms wide. Before I know what I'm doing, I run into her arms. It has been so long since I felt her comforting arms and her loving warmth. I breathe in her scent. _

_The scene changes. _

_I want to let go of the person I'm holding but they have me trapped in strong powerful arms. My face is squished against their chest and I hear the same booming laughter, except this time I feel it too._

_ "My son," Odin mocks as his grip tightens. I can't breathe. It is becoming too hot and he won't let me go. I can't breathe. I try to use my magic but it's not there, he took it away. I'm suffocating. It's too hot. I can't breathe._

_ The scene changes again._

_ I suck in a breath, filling my lungs with air. Sweet, glorious air. I spin around, making sure that Odin is gone. This time, I am in a forest, the trees swaying in the wind. I didn't recognize this place. This wasn't on Asgard. Was it on the other realms? Earth?_

_ "Brother?" I hear Thor's question and I turn around. Thor stands behind me, hammer in hand, looking at me with a surprised, hurt expression. He looks down at his chest and my eyes follow him. My blood stops as I see red begin to spread across his chest from a knife. A knife that is too familiar. A knife that fits into my hand, that is covered in blood. I look in horror at the blood on my hands. I did that? But I wouldn't-_

_ "Brother," Thor says again but this time it is weak and strained. He falls to his knees, clutching the knife._

_ "No, no it wasn't supposed to be you!" I cry trying to move to him but my feet are stuck. I struggle more but my feet are planted on the ground. I never meant to hurt Thor, it wasn't supposed to be him. I wanted to kill Odin, not Thor. Please let this be a lie._

_ "Why?" Thor chokes, "Brother, why?" I can't speak I'm so horrified. Thor looks so hurt and this isn't happening this isn't happening._

_ "I didn't mean to! Please Thor, hang on. I can heal you," I plead but Thor's eyes are closing._

_ "Thor!" he's falling to the ground._

_ "THOR!" he collapses to the ground and doesn't get up._

_ "NOOO!" I scream. Not Thor, not my brother. Please, anybody but him._

_ "Odin!" I roar in grief, "Heal him! Do what it takes but please don't let him die!" I hear Odin's laugh and I try to move towards Thor because he can't be dead, he can't be dead._

_ The scene changes once more._

_ It's hot. I've killed Thor. It's so hot. I'm a murderer. I draw in shaky breaths and look around. I'm chained to a rock, surrounded by liquid fire._

_ "This is your punishment," Odin's voice whispers in my ear. Where was he? All I can see is fire. A pocket in the liquid fire bursts and sprays my face. I cry out in pain as it sears my skin._

_ "You deserve this," Odin says, his voice filled with hatred. I try to breathe, try to calm down, but he air is so thick. It's so hot. Sweat drips down my face and stings the burns on my face. It's too hot. I can taste the heat, it's in the air. I see another pocket of liquid water but this time it's closer to me. No, I try to move away from it but I can't move. I can't move! The pocket pops and I scream in agony as the liquid fire washes over me…_

I awake gasping. Beads of sweat drip into my eyes and I get up too fast. My head spins dizzily and I hunch over, trying to shake the nightmare. It's so hot. I look up and see the fire blazing in the fireplace. I needed to get out, away. I wipe the sweat from my face and get up shakily. I walk out of the sitting room, hoping the bedroom is colder. It is colder but not enough. I need the freezing cold. I walk to my door but stop. I take a deep breath and silently pull the door open. My magic may be gone but that doesn't mean I'm not silent. I slip through the halls, invisible, inaudible. I make it outside and breathe in the crisp cool air. It feels good against my feverish skin. I must've made myself sick by sitting by the fire. Frost Giants weren't known for their tolerance of heat. I scowl at my heritage and the inconveniences it includes. I need to be colder. I look to the north and see a snow-capped mountain. I quickly scan the area and silently make my way out of the palace courtyard. I walk through the village unseen and begin to climb the mountain.

My brain starts to unfurl as I ascend the mountain. The cold wind cools my flushed skin and makes me feel stronger. I look back towards the village and am surprised by how far I've come. I turn back around and continue walking. The sky is a beautiful blue and the snow around me shines in the sun. I admire the shimmering snow and an image of the woman's hair invades my mind. Her hair was a light blonde, so light it looked white. Snowflakes had dusted her hair, complimenting her icy blue eyes. They were strong, piercing eyes and had been unafraid to hold my gaze. I had to give the woman credit, she was more powerful than I had anticipated. I still couldn't believe she had scolded me, like I was some child. _You were rather rude_, my mother's voice says. I scowl, kicking at some snow. It wasn't my fault I was in a bad mood when I had seen her. First, I had my magic taken away which felt like a thousand needles stabbing me all over my body. Second, I was reduced to a mere mortal which made my body feel like it weighed an extra two thousand pounds. Third, I had been bodily thrown threw the bifrost, landing ungracefully in a tree. My body still ached from the fall and it appeared was not appreciating the lack of strength either. So it wasn't my fault I was in a bad mood. I could almost see my mother looking at me with a reprimanding frown. I sigh, giving into my mother's voice and look. I had been rude. She probably didn't want to be in this situation either. However, she did initiate it.

I scowl in frustration and stomp through the snow. My mood darkening as the gravity of my situation sets in. I was without my magic, strength, and resources. The possibility of reversing this marriage seemed slim and, now that I had seen the woman, the binding felt stronger. I had begun to feel it a few hours after Odin had told me the news. It felt like there was a strong rope or chain connected to my sternum. When I was near her, this feeling increased, almost feeling like it was pulling me towards her. Which wouldn't be all that bad, my mind retorts. I suddenly remember the way she had looked in her dress. How it had fit her curves perfectly, flattering her nicely. Her presence had commanded respect and her words had been icily charming. Her voice had a melodious tone to it that had surprised me. I shake my head, what was I thinking? I look around and stop in awe.

Willow trees surround me but they are frozen. Each branch has an icy, glasslike layer on them with bulbs at the end. The wind whispers through the grove of trees, making them swing and hit against each other. What results is a beautiful sound, like the small tinkling of bells. There are no words to describe the beauty of this place. I turn around, admiring the sparkling spectacle. I continue through the forest of frozen trees and up the mountain. When I make my way to the top, I'm stopped yet again by the sight in front of me.

A bridge, an icy bridge, reaches over a chasm and leads to a magnificent ice palace. The sun shines through the ice, casting blues and purples across the snow. The palace stands tall, reaching towards the sky. I walk over the bridge, my eyes wide. I run my hands over the smooth ice and the cold bites my skin, comforting me. I open the terrific double doors and my jaw nearly drops to the floor. A fountain, the water frozen in beautiful arcs, stands grandly in the middle of the floor. Two grand staircases frame the fountain on either side. Everything shines and glitters.

"Vakker," I breathe. Beautiful. There are no other words. Beautiful doesn't even begin to describe the beauty of this palace. I climb the stairs, the cold seeping into my skin, into my blood, energizing me. I reach a room that has a balcony on the other end. The floor is decorated in a glorious snowflake and the chandlier looks like an intricate icicle. I walk around the room slowly, admiring the craftsmanship, the beauty of this palace. She did this? It could only be her. My respect for her grows and I even feel a little awe at her power. I walk out to the balcony, my strength restored, gazing out at the view. The view is almost as breathtaking as the palace. I look back into the room and have a sudden urge to prove my frost powers as well.

I walk back into the room and stand at the center. I close my eyes and inhale deeply, touching upon the powers that are deep within my blood. I feel my skin become ice cold, to the point it almost hurts. I open my eyes and can see everything just a little clearer. I can see the crystals in the ice, the intricate patterns embedded in each molecule. I look down at my hands. They are a dark blue with the patterns of the frost giants tattooed across the back of my hands. I reach a little deeper and begin to form ice in my palm. For several minutes, I stand there, hands moving around the ice, shaping it, decorating it. At last, I stop and admire my work. I have created an ornately designed box that rests on four legs. The designs are from Asgard and are mixed with the designs accustomed to the Frost Giants. Pleased with my work, I look up. The sun has begun to set and with a sigh I realize it is past five and past dinner.

I had been planning to give the box to the woman as an apology but now, I think I will keep it. For now. A plan begins to form in my head and I look for a place to hide the box. A small crevice serves as a good hiding place and I place the box there, hiding it from view. I sigh, stretch, and begin to make my way out of the ice palace and down the mountain.

I don't try to hide as I renter the Arendelle palace. I receive strange looks but I just make my way to my room. No one comes to bother me and thankfully, the woman doesn't come to reprimand me for missing dinner either. I close the door to my room and look around. It is the same as I left it. I remember I was reading a book before I fell asleep and retrieve it from the sitting room. I sit by the window and begin to read to distract myself from my growing hunger. Soon, I am standing in outrage at the content of what I'm reading. _I did what!?_ I quickly skim through some of the other chapters, becoming more and more outraged. _How could they print such ludicrous stories!?_ I slam the book closed and toss it away from me. I stomp over to the writing desk and furiously rummage around for some paper and ink. After finding it, I sit down and begin to write heatedly. These stories will not suffice. I will not have stories of me-I could not even say it. I will not stand for these stories. I will write the truth.


	6. False

**Sorry this took a while! School is getting insane. Like I don't sleep anymore.**

**Anyhoodles, if you're familiar with any bits of actual Norse Mythology you should enjoy this chapter (:**

I walk into the dining room at precisely 5PM and see Anna, Kristoff, and Olaf seated at the far end of the long table, laughing and joking. Even though Olaf doesn't need to eat, he still insists on sitting with us for every meal claiming he doesn't, "want to be left out of all the current gossip." Silly snowman.

It takes a moment for me to realize Loki is absent. I fight the urge to roll my eyes and walk to my seat next to Anna. They all stand and bow until I'm seated. I don't think I'll ever get used to that.

Once we're all seated, they resume their talking and laughter. I'm distracted throughout the entire meal so I hardly notice when the conversation drops and they're all staring at me.

"Umm, Elsa," Anna says quietly and taps me on my shoulder to gain my attention.

I snap out of my daze and look at her, "Yes, Anna?" Her brows are furrowed with concern. Confused, I look down at my dinner: uneaten, frozen. I groan inwardly and push back from the table.

"I'll see you all in the morning," I say as I walk to the door. I quickly make my way to the front entrance. I need to clear my head.

I make the familiar hike to the north mountain and stand before the entrance to my ice palace. I smile and open the doors. They don't creak like they usually do when I haven't been up here in a while. And I haven't been up here since Anna got sick, at least 4 months. It's unusual, but I shake it off and continue inside.

I sigh in contentment when the familiar chill inside envelops my senses. I love the cold. As I ascend the steps to the second story I notice something else is off, there are light footprints on the floor leading up in the direction I'm headed.

"That's odd," I say examining one of them.

When I reach the second story they fade into nothing and I'm left puzzled. Too tired to even think about investigating, I resolve to believe it was just one of the villagers coming to confirm the myth of the ice palace at the top of the north mountain.

I open the doors to the balcony and step outside. It's nighttime, but the view is still beautiful. The fjord glimmers in the moonlight and the distant castle lights let off a fuzzy glow that makes it look like it's in a dream.

The breeze tousles my hair gently. I close my eyes and try to enjoy the serenity, but something just isn't right. _Loki_. Our confrontation earlier is still bothering me. Perhaps I was too mean to the man. He's worlds away from home, stripped of his powers, and engaged to a stranger. He was probably just having a rough day. I feel the guilt welling up inside me. I try to remind myself that he was rude and came off as extremely snobby and pretentious, but it doesn't make me feel better. I just feel bad for him, and I don't know why. I can't shake the feeling, so I decide to apologize and try to make good with him.

_Is that what was really bothering you, Elsa?_ I ask myself. I get the feeling that the confrontation with Loki is only contributing to a portion of my worry, but I shove aside that thought and make to leave the palace. My visit with it was brief but sufficient. I feel reenergized and ready to face the tall stranger again.

I quickly make my way down the mountain, anxious to get to the castle before the man goes to bed. It takes about an hour, but I finally make it just before nine. _Hopefully he doesn't like to go to bed too early, _I think as I enter the castle. I debate on bringing him dinner, but decide against it because I don't want him to think I'm pushover who doesn't keep her word. He still needs to know that he has to respect my family and me, especially while living with us.

I walk up the stairs, careful to not make too much noise lest I wake Anna and Kristoff, though I know it's highly unlikely they're already asleep. I silently make my way across the dim hallway to the man's room and pause in front of his door.

"Elsa!"

Startled, I turn toward the voice. "Olaf, you scared me!"

"Oh sorry, Elsa! I was just strolling around the palace and I noticed you went down the wrong hall. Your room is in the other wing! I thought you might've been lost so I just came here to remind you."

I stifle a laugh, "Thank you for your concern, but I was just going to umm…" Olaf looks at me with wide-eyed expectancy. I might as well tell him. "I was just going to briefly speak with our guest."

"Oh, that makes sense!" Olaf giggles. "But how are you going to talk to him by just standing there in front of his door?"

"I was about to knock, I just…"

"Just what?"

"Just nothing, I guess." I turn to face the door again and lift my fist to knock, but I can't complete the action.

"Go ahead. Knock!" Olaf encourages.

I still hesitate.

"Why aren't you knocking?" Olaf asks. "Do you know how to-"

"Would you two just be quiet, already? I can hear everything you're saying. Now just come in Frosty!" A voice on the other side of the door says. I blush at my carelessness. After all the effort to come up here quietly, I disturb the very person I'm trying to apologize to.

I take a deep breath and slowly open the door. I turn back to Olaf. "Go keep an eye on Kristoff and Anna, okay?"

"Yes ma'am!" Olaf replies with a bow then waddles away humming to himself.

I hesitantly enter the room and shut the door behind me. Before I am able to greet him properly he asks from his desk, "Who in the world were you talking to out there, being so loud? It's quite rude to loiter outside guests' doors this late at night." He is furiously scribbling and doesn't look up when he speaks to me.

"I was just uh-," I mumble. Come on Elsa pull it together. Handle yourself like you did earlier today, like a queen would. I clear my throat and speak louder, "I was speaking to Olaf."

"Olaf?" The man asks with raised eyebrows, still not looking away from whatever it is he's writing. "There was no Olaf with the _welcome committee_ earlier today."

"I know, he comes and goes," I reply with an awkward laugh. The man doesn't say anything more and we're left in silence. He continues scribbling away at his desk showing no sign that he knows I'm still standing here.

After a moment I clear my throat loudly, trying to gain his attention. Nothing. I try again. Nothing. I let out a frustrated sigh and start to back away towards the door. _Maybe he just doesn't want any visitors right now_, I think.

As I reach for the knob, the scribbling stops and he looks up from the desk. "What is it that you want, Frosty? Just get on with it. Your presence is incommodious, and I would like complete focus with this endeavor."

_Frosty? Still? Ugh, just ignore it, Elsa. _"Oh yes, right. I umm, just wanted to apologize for earlier. It was a terrible first impression, and I'm sorry if I came off as rude or domineering." I give him a slight smile but he just raises and eyebrow and goes back to writing. I fight my frustration. _You did your part, Elsa. You weren't expecting him to actually say he forgives you, were you?_ I fumble with the sleeves of my dress. I still don't want to leave the conversation at that.

Before I have time to reconsider I blurt out, "What is it that you're working on?"

He pauses, as if considering his answer then continues writing. "I am correcting your _horribly_ deluded literature."

"My what?"

He stops his writing and holds up a book from the desk. "Your literature! This miserable excuse for reading material!"

I walk over to his desk to get a closer look at the book. "Norse mythology?" I ask. "Isn't that your history or…"

"Wrong! This garbage couldn't be farther from historically accurate! In fact, I'd like to pay the deluded individual who wrote these stories a visit and introduce him to my brother's hammer! The disgusting imbecile!" He shouts and stands up from the desk.

I should be scared of his reaction, but instead I let out a short laugh.

"Why are you laughing?" He asks, flustered. "This isn't funny! These stories are wholly and grossly inaccurate! How would you like it if-"

"Oh I know what you're upset about," I interrupt. I'm quite familiar with the stories in that book. Papa only told us his kiddyfied versions of the stories, but I knew better so I went and looked them up for myself. "You supposedly gave birth to a…what was it again? An eight-legged horse?" I struggle to hold in the laughter, but I manage to because I can see frustration evident in his features.

"I DID NO SUCH THING!" He bellows.

I put my hands up and back away. "I believe you, I believe you."

"And supposedly I have a wife named Sigyn! Which is clearly false or I wouldn't be here right now!" He sits back down and continues writing. "This needs to be corrected. I will not stand for this trash, these lies. I won't have it!"

I can't contain the laughter anymore. I cover my mouth as a stream of giggles escapes my throat.

His cheeks turn red with frustration, but he doesn't look up or say anything more to me. I walk to the door and open it, but turn and face him as I'm about to walk out. "I umm," I hold back more laughter, "hope you remedy our literature. We don't want our story book historically inaccurate." He mutters something under his breath in reply and I close the door. For a moment I stand outside his door giggling like an amused child. _What a strange man, _I think, _he was so upset_. I'm not sure why I find the situation funny. Maybe I'm relieved that he's not some rude, emotionless robot who cares for nothing. He apparently values his heritage and knowledge. He might be strange, but at least he's not apathetic or uneducated. It's not largely comforting, but it eases my mind a bit.

"Elsa!"

I gasp and turn around; _these people have got to stop sneaking up on me! _"Anna could you please be more careful not to sneak up on people this late at night?" I exclaim.

"Sorry, sis I just heard yelling ran over here. Is everything okay?"

"Yes everything is fine! Our guest is just 'correcting our literature'." I say with a laugh.

"Our what?" Anna asks.

"Go away I'm trying to focus!" A voice yells from the other side of the door.

Anna looks offended and ready to defend us, but I put my hand on her shoulder to guide her away from the room. "Don't worry about it, Anna, let's just go to bed." She glances back at the door but follows my lead.

"Where's Kristoff?" I ask, as we're about to enter our separate chambers.

"Olaf made him go to bed about fifteen minutes ago," Anna mumbles, clearly upset.

I smirk to myself and open the door to my room. "Goodnight Anna."

"Goodnight sis!"

I quickly get ready for bed. I had not realized how exhausted I was until this moment. _It's been a long and stressful day_, I admit to myself. I secretly wonder if it will get better any time soon. It was only my first partial day with this man here and he was already tiring me out.

I lay down on my bed, suddenly wide-awake. I hate when that happens. I roll over, trying to find a comfortable position but I can't. Something is still bothering me. It's nagging me, but I can't pinpoint it; and I feel some part of me doesn't want to. I just want to sleep. I force my eyes closed and steady my breathing. I can tell it's going to be a restless night.


	7. Town

**Sorry this took a while, we're both very busy!**

**This chapter was written by Luc16 (:**

I awake with my face pressed against the table. I groan slightly and straighten my back, hissing as a sharp pain runs through my neck. _I fell asleep at my desk_, I think_, that hasn't happened in a while_. I look blearily at my writing and scowl when I see a giant black streak across the page, ruining what I had written. I sigh and rub my face to wake myself up. _I'll rewrite it later_, I think. I stand and stretch my arms above my head, fully waking up. Odin's beard, I smell, I think. I look around for the bag I had packed but freeze. That's right, I didn't have my clothes with me because Odin had to throw me down to this pathetic little planet, I think angrily. I see the wardrobe on the right wall and stomp over to it, hoping the woman had thought to fill it with clothes. Luckily, there are shirts and pants hanging in the wardrobe and I pick out a pair of black pants and dark green shirt. There are some furry boots on the bottom of the wardrobe but I leave them there. My boots will suffice. I take the clothes and head to the bathroom.

The water of the bath soothes my aching neck and allows me to relax. I realize that I've been tense since the moment I landed in this country. I lean my head back and breathe in the steam of the bath. I think back to last night and the woman coming into my room. I scowl as I remember her laughing at my distress. I did not birth an eight-legged horse! It was humiliating that these creatures believed those disgusting myths. It was the first time I had seen her expression change from a steely mask to one of delight. _She looked beautiful when she smiled_, I think. _What?_ I shake the thought from my head. I need to get ahold of myself. _I can't let my temper get the best of me_, I think as I remember shouting at the woman. She hadn't even flinched, she'd just laughed. I suddenly remember the way the light had played against her face, the way it made her white blonde hair shine. I shake my head again and get out of the bathtub. The heat must be getting to me. There was no way I was attracted to that creature. _So we're back to creature now are we?_ A voice in the back of my head asks_. Shut up,_ I think.

I dry off and begin to dress myself. When I've fully dressed myself, I look in the mirror and nearly smash it in fury. The pants are much too short, as they don't even cover my ankles. The shirtsleeves come to the middle of my forearms and the collar is cutting into my neck. This would not do. Do they have tall people on this planet? I undress and wrap a towel around my waist. I bark at a servant and order her to bring the Queen to my chambers. She scurries off as fast as she can and I slam the door. Why couldn't Odin throw me down with clothes? Oh that's right, he hates me. I scowl and look out the window. There was still something nagging me about this entire situation but I couldn't place my finger on it. Plus, I still need to figure out how to reverse the binding spell. I tap my foot, my anger growing as time passed.

Finally, a knock at the door snaps me out of my angry thoughts and I stride over to the door. I restrain myself from ripping the door off its hinges and open it to find the woman standing at my door with barely concealed annoyance. Her eyes widen as she takes in my bare chest and a light blush dusts her cheeks. I smirk down at her, anger momentarily forgotten.

"Like what you see, Frosty?" I sneer. She blinks and schools her face to one of no emotion, although I think her blush deepens.

"What is it you need Loki?" the woman asks in a calm, level tone. Her skill of hiding is almost as good as mine, I think idly. I mentally shake my head of these trivial thoughts and remember back to my anger.

"It seems I am taller than the average human. The clothes you provided do not fit and I am in need of clean clothes," I explain, my expression hardening. Her brow furrows and she looks confused.

"Didn't you come with clothes of your own?" She asks. My eyes narrow and I can see her twitch under my gaze.

"My exit from Asgard was not of my own volition," I say, my voice a deadly calm. She sighs, sensing my dark mood. I do not care. It was her fault I was in this situation. She steps back and looks me up and down. She touches her chin in thought as she stares at my chest. I endure this for a few moments before my temper rears its head.

"I am not your eye candy woman. Do you have clothes or not?" I snap. It's her turn to glare at me and she opens her mouth to retort. However, she pauses and then closes her mouth, inhaling deeply. She turns away and waves over a servant. She has more control than you do, the voice comments. _I said shut up_, I think.

"Go to my father's chambers and get some clothes for our guest," she quietly tells the servant. The servant's eyes widen and she hesitates. The woman gives her a look and the servant gulps, nods, and scurries off. There is a moment of silence and the woman still has her back towards me. Her father's clothes? Thinking along the line of parents, where were hers? As I thought more about it, she seemed awfully young to be ruling a country.

"Won't your father be in need of his clothes?" I ask, a sharp edge in my voice from my lingering anger. She turns around slowly and the look on her face makes me freeze. She has constructed a perfectly neutral face, devoid of emotion. She is in pain, I think. I only know this because I have made that face all my life. I suddenly want to wipe that mask off her face. She is too young to have to wear that mask. _You were too young as well_, the voice says.

"No, he will not," she says with an icy calm. I shiver involuntarily. She nods and walks away. I watch her walk away, curious about her reaction to her father. What had happened to make her react so coldly? And if she didn't like the subject of her father, why was she allowing me to wear his clothes? I ponder these questions until the servant comes back with a bundle of clothes. As soon as I take the clothes the servant runs off with tears in her eyes. What was with these creatures?

The clothes are still too small but at least they don't look as ridiculous as before. The pants are black and I can cover their lack of material with my boots. The shirt is a dark green with embroidery around the collar. I place the teal blue sash around my middle, like I'd seen the blonde creature wear it. I could tell he didn't like me and felt threatened by my presence. _He should_, I think smiling to myself. I push my hair out of my face and look outside. It is already past breakfast, not that I wanted to go anyways. I make my way outside, deciding to go and explore. It's not like they really wanted me here anyways.

The crisp morning air fills my lungs and I stride across the courtyard. The passing servants stop and stare at me but I keep walking. I do not care what these trivial beings think of me. _Unless they think you are the mother of an eight-legged horse_, the voice teases. _Why won't you shut up?_ I think, angrily. _You know you're talking to yourself right? _The voice replies. My mind was much too active. I look around at the scenery to distract myself from my thoughts. The sky is a startlingly blue with no clouds in sight. The town is bustling with activity and color. There are deep magentas, bright blues, and shocking greens. There were smiles and laughter, giving the day a happy music. _The kingdom seems happy,_ I think. Even though she is so young, she seems to be doing a good job.

I receive a few stares and second glances but for the most part, I walk through the town without anyone bothering me. I pause at a stand selling different colors of inks, elaborately designed stationary, and quills with uselessly long feathers. I suddenly get the feeling I am being watched. I whip my head around and see a shadow of movement. I narrow my eyes but there's no one there. The stall owner calls to me, asking if I'm interesting in buying anything. I take another moment to scrutinize my surrounding but eventually turn back to the stall owner and tell him no. I walk away and remind myself to ask the woman for a little spending money. Not but a few paces away, I receive the same intuition that I'm being watched. I glance behind me but see no one of a threat. However, what was behind that bush? A stick juts out of the trunk of the bush at an odd angle and I tilt my head to get a better look. At that moment, something runs into my leg and I look down in surprise. I stare at a pair of large green eyes that are attached to a small human. By the innocent look on her face, she is a child of about four years old. I watch her features morph from happiness to surprise to fear. Before she can cry, I crouch down at her level and try to soften my features.

"Hello small one, where is your mother?" I ask gently. The child's lip quivers and she grabs at her dress uncertainly.

"Do you know where she is?" The child shakes her head, her pigtails flying. I look around but no one seems to be looking for a lost child.

"Do you know what she was wearing?" I ask. The child looks up in thought.

"Blue," she replies.

"Blue," I echo and look around. I sigh in frustration; lots of people were wearing blue.

"What is your name?" The child looks at me with large round eyes. I try to seem as comforting and trustworthy as possible.

"Anja," the child sings as she rocks back and forth on her heels.

"Well Anja, my name is Loki. Let's go find your mother," I say holding out my hand. She looks from my hand to my face and back to my hand. Slowly, she places her hand in mine and grips it with much more strength than I anticipated. I straighten up but I have to stoop slightly to hold the child's hand. We walk back the way I had come, looking around for her mother. Suddenly, the child gasps and smiles, pointing to the left. A couple stands off to the side arguing.

"Mother!" Anja cries, letting go of my hand and running to her mother. Her mother whips around and encircles her daughter in her arms.

"Where were you?" Her mother says pulling away from the embrace.

"I told you not to run off," the man, I assume the father, says gruffly. Anja fidgets and says, "I liked the pretty cloth." The mother sighs and the father crosses his arms.

"But then Loki helped me!" Anja says, pointing towards me. Oh child, don't bring me into this. The father turns towards me and he scowls at me. Before the accusations can start flying I step forward with my hands slightly raised.

"Your child ran into me and I simply wanted to bring her back to her parents," I say calmly. The man continues to scowl and the woman pulls her child closer. _Time to go_, I think.

"I'm glad we were able to find you. Good day," I say and turn to walk away.

"Bye Loki!" Anja cries. How I wish I could keep the innocence of a child, I think as I turn my head to look at her.

"Goodbye Anja," I say and walk away before anything else happens. I weave through the crowd trying to put as much distance between the family and myself. I eventually slow my pace and relax, enjoying the breeze blowing through the marketplace. _So now we are gentle?_ The voice persists. _I do what I want_, I retort. _Obviously,_ it replies. Great, I was talking to myself in my head. Yet again, I have the feeling that I am being followed. I turn my head slightly, pretending to look at an ornately decorated mandolin, trying to catch a glimpse of my stalker. What I see makes me whip my head in disbelief. Did I see-was that a snowman? I scan the crowd but whatever I saw is gone. I shake my head; maybe I was still sick from yesterday. I sit down on a low wall and take a deep breath. I had to admit; this country and its people are beautiful. There is so much life it's slightly overwhelming. I had been imprisoned for quite a while and had just recently been allowed to participate in life outside confinement. I momentarily forgot about my predicament and drank in the relaxing freedom this country emanated. My moment was broken by a nasally woman's voice.

"I don't trust her. Not after the frozen summer fiasco," the woman's voice says.

"I agree. How can we feel safe when our own queen is a danger to us?" Another woman's voice, higher in pitch, replies. I turn my head slightly to see who was talking. Two women stand by a fruit stand, examining the fruit. One was taller with a long, sharp nose. I assume she was the first one who spoke. The second woman was shorter and plumper with a child hanging onto her skirt, sucking his thumb.

"I don't want my Egil being frozen just because she can't control her powers," the plump one continues, touching her child's head. The child looks up at his mother at the sound of his name but continues to suck his thumb.

"Honestly, she's 21. She's had years to master her power so they shouldn't be this out of control. Plus I think she's too young to rule anyways," long nose comments. I find my anger rising and I suddenly want to defend the woman. Even if she did get me into this situation, she doesn't deserve to be treated like this.

"I was so sad when the king and queen died, leaving their daughters alone. But you know what I heard. I heard that Elsa didn't even comfort princes Anna when she learned of her parents death. How selfish is that?" The plump one asks. Long nose scowls and shakes her head. I grow still as that information sinks in. Her parents were dead? That meant that I was wearing her dead father's clothes. That doesn't settle well in my stomach and I'm suddenly thrown back to the death of my mother. Grief nearly overpowers my emotions as I think back to the day I was told my mother was dead. I close my eyes and take deep breaths, pushing the tidal wave of emotions aside.

"How did Arendelle get stuck with a selfish, icy queen?" Long nose asks, disgusted. I'm on my feet before my mind can catch up with my body. I walk silently behind the two women with my hands behind my back.

"Selfish? I would hardly call her selfish," I say, my tone returning to the deadly calm. Both women whirl around and gasp at my expression. I have my neutral face on but Thor has told me that it is one of my scariest appearances.

"I heard that she agreed to marry a man she didn't know to save her sister's life," I continue. Long nose's mouth opens and closes like a fish and the plump one looks down at the ground.

"Th-that's nonsense," Long nose says, her mouth twitching. I raise my eyebrow and stare at the women. Long nose gulps and the plump one seems to shrink beneath my gaze.

"I-I did hear that," the plump one whispers. Long nose shoots her a glare.

"I advise you women to talk less about the faults of your queen and more about the good she has done for your country," I say, my voice becoming colder. The women shrink and look at the floor. I stare them down for a few moments longer, making my suggestion more of a command.

"Good day," I say and walk away. I catch the stunned look on the fruit stand owner's face but ignore him. I make my way back to the castle, suddenly tired from the events of the day. I look at the sun and realize that it's past dinner. I sigh; realizing my lack of energy is due to not eating. I walk through the castle, making my way to the kitchen. The halls are long and tall. The fading light allows me to see some of the designs on the walls. They interweave bold colors that normally wouldn't match but in these patterns, they are stunning. I eventually find the kitchens and without even asking, food is placed in front of me. The woman must have expected my arrival at the kitchens after not attending breakfast, lunch, or dinner. I try not to eat like a ravenous animal but I'm starving. After finishing my meal, I politely thank the cooks and walk back to my bedroom. I collapse on my bed, already feeling my body relax, when something pokes my side. I roll over and reach under my sash bringing out a small, leather bound journal. My heart squeezes in pain as I run my hands over the soft, black leather. My mother had given me this journal and had enchanted it to have infinite pages. I have kept it with me at all times. It has become so much of a habit that I did not even realize I had brought it with me or put it in the sash.

I stand and walk over to the desk, sitting down. I open the journal and let it fall open to a blank page. I look up at the ceiling and close my eyes. _Dear Mother_, I write…

_Forgive me for not writing sooner. I have endured a painfully eventful week and have had little time to sit and write. Odin has forced me into a marriage and thrown me onto this puny planet without the resources I need. For one, I am out of clothes and must use the woman's (her name is Elsa) dead father's clothes. I must ask her for some money so I may get my own clothes. Apparently she agreed to marry me if Odin healed her dying sister. Something about this isn't right but I haven't discovered what is amiss. _

_The woman is demanding and rude. On my arrival, she accuses me of being spoiled and pretentious! I know what you would say, I probably deserved it but I had just been bodily thrown to this planet. This warrants a little sympathy, does it not? Don't give me that look. I will apologize to her when she deserves it. Anyways, despite my situation, I find this country surprisingly charming. It is full of color and noise. It is full of life. At first, it's overpowering but I think I could become used to it._

_I found this amazing ice castle. It is purely made of ice and the way it sparkles and shines in the sunlight is magnificent. It could only have been Elsa who created it. Did I mention she has ice powers? Would you like a description? If you insist…She has blonde hair that is practically white. She has startlingly blue eyes that match the blue hue of ice. She is almost as good as I am at controlling her facial expressions. Almost. Last night, I heard her laugh for the first time. Her face lit up and she tried to cover her laughter with her hand. It was quite endearing._

_However, it has gotten late and I'm quite tired. I shall write to you tomorrow. Goodnight Mother._

I close my journal rather roughly, slightly frazzled by my realizations. I tuck my journal underneath my pillow and lie on the bed with a huff. Why did I write my mother that she was endearing? She wasn't at all endearing. She was standoffish and rude. _Are you describing her or yourself?_ The voice asks. _Shut up_, I think wearily already drifting off to sleep.


	8. Strictly Professional

**I love all the reviews! They make my life, so thank you so much!**

**Hope you like it, I wrote this one (:**

_Dear Papa,_

The man who is staying with us, who also happens to be my fiancé, is quite odd. I walked in on him "correcting our literature". Apparently those stories you used to tell Anna and me about Norse Mythology are completely wrong. It was quite amusing to see him all bothered about it. And I couldn't help but laugh at him. I know I should have kept my queenly composure, but I actually felt comfortable with it. He comes off as threatening, but I don't know. I think that even though he puts up this wall of stern and grumpy, he has a side to him that's likeable. Though I've yet to see it clearly. In any case, I suppose I'll see it eventually if it's there since I'm stuck with him for…the rest of my life. Anyways I just want you to know that I feel a little better about him. You don't need to worry about me.

Love you,

Elsa

"Elsa!" Olaf comes sliding in to my quarters, but overshoots his momentum and slams into my dresser.

"Olaf!" I run to his side and pick him back up. He's fine but his nose has pushed through his head and is sticking out only about an inch.

I giggle, "Olaf your nose."

He goes cross-eyed to see it, "Oh dear. I hate when that happens." His voice is nasally.

"Here let me help you." I reach behind his head and push the carrot forward so it's back in its correct position.

Olaf takes a deep breath in through his nose," Thank you!" He stands up and waddles over to my bed, then climbs up and plops down.

"No problem." I sit at my desk chair. "So what did you run in here to tell me?"

"Oh right! I almost forgot! So you know how you had me follow that scary tall man around all day?"

I laugh at his description of Loki, "Yes."

"Well something interesting happened!"

I sit at attention, "Really? What happened?" I fear that he might have scared some of the townspeople or caused a scene. Anxiety wells up inside me.

"So I watched him walk around and look at some stuff and I was getting sort of bored so I got a little distracted, but then he started talking to this little girl and I thought well maybe I should pay attention because he's scary and he might scare the girl, but then he actually ended up helping her find her parents and it made me feel warm and fuzzies," Olaf manages to say in one breath.

"Wow. He really did that?" I never thought he would be the type to actually stop and take time to help someone.

"Yeah! But that's not it! You're really going to like this next part!" Olaf says excitedly.

"Okay then go on."

He takes a deep breath and continues, "So after that he was walking around some more and I was still following him. He came across these two ladies who were umm saying some mean things about…" Olaf trails off.

"About who? Kristoff and Anna?" I ask, urgently. "My father?" My words come out in an angrier tone than I intend.

Olaf shakes his head. "No. None of them."

"Then who?"

Olaf awkwardly plays with his fingers, "Umm you, Elsa."

"Me?" I ask in a soft voice. I guess I'm not surprised. As a queen not everyone is going to love you. "What were they saying?"

"I don't really remember, but the man got upset."

My breath catches in my throat. "Oh no. What did he do?"

"He defended you of course!"

"What? He _defended _me?"

"Yeah!"

"Well what did he say?"

"I don't know. Something about how you _weren't _selfish because of what you did for Anna with the whole agreement thing, and that you're doing a lot of good for the country."

My jaw drops in shock. "He said those things?"

"Uh huh! Something like that. My memory isn't too sharp though. I don't actually think I have a brain…"

I stand up from my seat, "Thank you for your services, Olaf. I can always count on you. Now come on, let's go to breakfast." I usher Olaf out of my room and follow him into the dining room. Kristoff and Anna are already there and stand as I enter with Olaf.

"Morning sis!" Anna greets me cheerily.

"Morning everyone," I say and take my seat next to Anna.

We're just about to start the meal when Loki enters the dining hall. I can tell he's being hesitant, so I stand to greet him, "Loki, glad you could join us." I gesture toward the seat next to Olaf.

"Morning, Frosty, Anna, Kristopher…"

"It's Kristoff," Kristoff grumbles.

Loki ignores him and continues, "And…Odin's beard! What are you?" Loki's eyes widen so much it looks like they're going to pop out of his head.

Olaf plops down off his seat and extends his hand to Loki, "I'm Olaf!"

Loki recoils from Olaf's hand and Olaf's face drops in disappointment. Seeing this I say, "This is Olaf, our friend and handyman."

"But he's a…a," Loki starts.

"Snowman," Kristoff finishes for him.

"I know what he is! I'm not dumb!" Loki retorts. "I'm just a bit confused as to why it's speaking and trying to shake my hand!"

Anna rolls her eyes, "Olaf isn't an _it _he's a _he_, and _he _can speak because he's magic. Elsa made him."

His eyes snap to me, "_You, _frosty? You made it, him, this?"

"I did," I say.

Loki turns back to Olaf and slowly brings his head closer to him as to get a better look, "And you _animated_ it?"

"Obviously," Kristoff mumbles.

"I don't believe I was speaking to you, bloke, but thank you for your answer." He turns to me, "How did you do that?"

I shake my head, "I don't really know. I just did."

Loki hesitantly pokes Olaf's abdomen and jumps back when Olaf giggles in response.

"You can feel that?" Loki asks in disbelief.

"Of course I can feel that, silly!" Olaf playfully taps Loki on the nose and climbs back onto his seat.

"Interesting…Frosty, did you use any supplementary spells or incantations to bring him to life?"

"No. Just my own regular magic," I answer.

Loki strokes his chin in thought, "_Very _interesting." He swipes his hand through the cloud suspended above Olaf's head. "And this little flurry above his head, that's your own magic, as well?"

His questions are beginning to irritate but I answer, "Yes it is."

"Is he your only animated creation?"

"I had another, but I got rid of him for safety reasons. But do you think that you could please sit down so we can start the meal?" I ask in my most patient voice.

Loki takes a moment to respond but when he does he says, "Oh right," and sits down next to Olaf. Throughout the meal he asks a few more random questions about my powers and I answer them with as much patience and honesty as I can, though it is a bit annoying. He continually glances at Olaf and even though the snowman isn't bothered, I can tell Kristoff is getting annoyed with it. He's very defensive of Olaf because some people still haven't grown used to him and treat him rudely. I fear Kristoff might say something, so I shoot him a warning glare and he stays quiet.

When we're finally finished with the meal and about to go our separate ways for the day Loki stands and says, "Fros-" he clears his throat, "Elsa…I would like to accompany you on your daily duties today. If I am going to be married to the ruler of this kingdom one day, I would like to see how it is run."

I'm in shock at his request but I calmly reply, "Of course. Meet me in the throne room in twenty minutes, that is where all my weekdays start."

He nods and exits the room. When she's sure he's gone far enough out of earshot Anna says, "That was odd. Why would he want to spend an entire day with you?"

"Anna!"

"Sorry that came out wrong. I just mean he seems like the type that would, you know, rather spend all day reading or burning ants with a magnifying glass."

"Be nice," I scold, "I'm rather grateful for his interest. He was going to have to learn sooner or later. After all, he is going to be our king someday."

"That will be wonderful," Kristoff scoffs sarcastically.

I give him a stern look, bid them both farewell, and walk to the throne room. Loki arrives about 20 minutes later, right on time. I smile as he walks into the room, and he returns the greeting with a grimace-like expression that I assume is a smile. I gesture for him to take the seat next to mine, and he complies.

"Is this the king's throne?" he asks, shifting uncomfortably in the seat.

"I hadn't considered it, but yes it is," I answer in a serious tone, though his mention of the king, my father, had made my heart clench painfully.

"So," Loki starts, "what is it that you do in here during the day?"

"I give my people the opportunity to come to me for anything they need, to bring me any requests, complaints, or opinions."

"That's quite nice of you," he replies. "My fath-…Odin would never do such a thing. He just does what _he _thinks is best and doesn't like to listen to others. Not even when my mother was alive did he listen to her wisdom."

"Well every ruler has their own way of ruling. I just think this way works best for my kingdom, and Odin probably believes his way is better for…" I forget the name of Loki's home.

"Asgard," he finishes for me.

"Asgard," I continue. "It's really just a matter of opinion." I have a lot more to say, but I choose to keep my mouth shut lest I hit a nerve with a question about his mother or the clear issues he has with Odin.

"Well his opinion is wrong," Loki mutters, but I choose to ignore him.

Shortly after this encounter one of the palace servants starts to bring some townspeople in to speak to me. I listen to each of their complaints, taking special care to show them that I am listening and that their concerns are mine as well. There are no huge issues, just the usual complaints. And Loki silently observes how I speak to the people and offer them what is fair. However, one issue tugs at my heartstrings. Usually the townspeople that come to speak to me are adults and their problems are related to their farms or trade issues, but in rare cases children approach me when they're parents are unable. Today a little girl, about ten, who reminds me remarkably of Anna in her adolescence, approaches me with an issue regarding her family's farm. She tells me that she lives on the very outskirts of Arendelle's main town and traveled an entire day to get to the palace. Her family is close to losing their farm because they cannot pay the land's due on time. She says that her parents passed away recently because of a terrible flu and it's just her and her two brothers, 18 and 17, tending to the farm. In the night she took the best horse from the stable and _walked _it over here as to not "dirty" it because she wanted to offer it to me as payment to keep the farm for another month. I am nearly driven to tears, even as the girl tells her story with a straight face and an innocent-minded demeanor. I send her away with a couple servants to help her and her brothers get the farm back up and give her payment for three months due, which I determine is sufficient until the farm is back in working order. I know it's a lot, and I don't usually entirely solve the townspeople's problems because if I start doing that everyone will expect it, and that's just not possible. But she reminds me of Anna and she's an orphan, like us. But she doesn't have what Anna and me were lucky enough to have when our parents died: the palace and the crown. Her family needed someone to help them back up again, so I had to oblige.

As the little girl leaves, I look over at Loki who was dead silent during the whole encounter. His expression is stony, but his eyes tell a story of sympathy. He tries to hide it, but I can see it. I know it's not that big of a deal, but seeing him like that makes me feel warmer towards him. I wonder if he will ever show any outward signs of emotions other than anger or frustration.

By the time I finish with the townspeople it's lunch time and Loki and I sit down in the dining room alone. For the first few minutes we eat in silence. There isn't much to say, and the silence is kind of awkward. But then he speaks up.

"You were very kind back there," he says without looking up from his meal.

"It's my job to be gracious. The happiness of my kingdom and loved-ones is my livelihood," I reply.

"That's an odd mindset for a powerful leader."

"I don't think it should be. I think that kings and queens should put their people before themselves." He doesn't say anything so I ask, "Don't you think so? Aren't you royalty?"

He puts down his spoon and looks at me, "I don't think you'd agree with the methods of ruling I have encountered in Asgard."

"What do you mean?"

He shakes his head, "Because Odin is out of control."

"How so?"

"I'd rather not talk about it," he snaps and resumes eating. We don't speak through the rest of the meal. I fear that I have tried to go to deep into his personal life too soon. But his expression is of the same neutral nature that it has been all day and I am unable to either confirm or deny that suspicion; although, there's a slight hint of sadness in his eyes.

After lunch I tell him that we are to go into town and walk around. I don't do it too often but I like to speak with the people in their turf, too. Sometimes they open up more in a less formal setting. He just nods and follows me.

The town is bustling with life. Vendors line the streets and are kindly bartering with the other townspeople. Children are running about playing games in the street and singing little improvised tunes. The evident happiness and well being of the people brings a smile to my face.

A young boy looks up and spots me. A grin spreads on his face and he shouts, "Queen Elsa! She's here!" All the adults who hear him look up, smile, and bow then resume what they were doing. I make it point to let them know that they are in no way obligated to approach me or speak to me whenever I come to town unless they want to. Also, I like to approach them myself and inquire individually how some of them are doing. But the children are a different story. They come running up to me.

"Queen Elsa!" A little girl squeals. "I'm so happy you're here today! I was just telling them about your snow bunnies!"

I lean down at eye-level with her, "Oh, yeah?" I reply with a smile. I love my encounters with the children. Unlike some of the adults, they don't fear my magic; they stare with wonder at it much like Anna used to when we were young. But I'm still very cautious about using it near them because of what I know it can do. Though when they beg me to show them I am usually too soft to say no.

The little girl nods and crosses her arms, "They don't believe me." She pouts.

"Well where are they? There's no proof!" A boy a little older than her nudges the girl's side.

"I told you they melted!" She shouts.

I stand up. "Alright alright. Let's settle this." The kids back up a little, but stare up at me excitedly. I bring my hands together and rub the tips of my fingers. I look over at Loki who is standing a couple feet to my left with a slightly amused expression on his face. When he sees me looking at him the expression turns neutral. I look away from him and continue to conjure my magic. A chill spreads all over my body as I focus my energy on the palms of my hand. Most people would assume that my power feels cold whenever I use it, but to me it's actually a comfortable warm. The warmness spreads from my fingertips to my palms and I focus the energy there. I put my hands together for a moment, there's a soft whooshing noise, and then I bring them apart. In my right palm sits a small white bunny made entirely of ice. Luckily it's cool outside today and it doesn't immediately melt.

All the children gasp and cheer. The little girl grins triumphantly and yells, "I told you guys!" She takes the bunny from my hands and brings it down for all the children to look at. "Don't touch him or he'll melt," she warns and places the bunny on the ground. It playfully jumps around in circles as the children watch it in glee. I smile and leave the children in their little amused group.

"That's quite impressive," Loki says from behind me.

I slow down so he's walking next to me, "Oh it's nothing. I do stuff like that for them often. Not usually animals though because they eventually melt and that can be pretty sad."

"And you don't feel weakened or need to rest after you use your powers in this way?"

"Nope not at all."

The corner of Loki's mouth twitches for a moment. I think he's starting to smile. "That's a lot more than I can say for some sorcerers up in Asgard."

I shrug, "I guess I'm just special then."

He lets out a short chuckle, "Yeah I'm not sure I would go that far." Now he is actually smiling. I notice that he looks kind and approachable when he smiles and I find myself smiling in response. But the moment doesn't last too much longer because soon people are coming up to me and I have to get back to work. We spend a couple hours in town talking with the people about more casual matters. Loki seems to be in a lighter mood because every now and then he adds in a few words. But he mostly just watches like in the throne room. Soon it's time to return to the palace. I bid the people goodbye and make the walk back. By the time we return it's a few minutes past the start of dinner and we enter the dining room late.

"Elsa!" Anna stands. "I was getting worried. You never spend that long in town."

"Oh Anna, " I say rubbing her arm in a comforting manner, "today just went a little longer. More people wanted to talk and we got a little hung up talking to Miss Leah." Miss Leah was our tutor when Anna and I were younger. She was almost like an aunt to us.

"Oh." Anna sits down. "How is she doing?"

"Just fine," I say cheerily and sit down. Loki sits down across from me next to Kristoff.

Kristoff scoots a bit away from Loki and says, "You're in a good mood."

"It was just a good day," I say and start on my dinner. Everyone does so too. I was in a pretty good mood. I was able to see the town in its good condition, help that little girl, and entertain those children with my magic. Small interactions with my people always make my day, but today was just a little different. It isn't until I'm lying in bed a while later that I realize why.

_Loki_.

I had really enjoyed his company today. Yes, he was bit odd and awkward at first, but after a while we got to talking and I realized that I quite like his wit (when it's not aimed at the expense of others). He was stern most of the day, but there were moments when he cracked a smile and made me laugh with some sarcastic commentary. My happiness fades to worry when I realize that I had been thinking about him for a while and it's now getting late.

I_'m not going to get attached to him. I'm not. Our relationship will be strictly professional_, I tell myself. And with that I roll over and force my eyes closed.


End file.
